We had VPI for our dogs. They reimbursed us for some pretty expensive care and never gave us a problem about it. It's been a few years, but based on that experience I would recommend them.
We didn't bother with the preventive care coverage. It didn't seem worth the extra premium. I think the place to start there is to consider how much it would cost you to pay for those services out of pocket (which is going to be different for every vet), vs. the premiums, vs. how much would be reimbursed by insurance.
The premiums will go up as your puppy gets older, but you're not locked into any plan either; you can always drop the preventive care coverage later.
Edit (simultaneous post with smilingcat): between the autoimmune blood disorder our one dog had (as motley a mutt as they come) and the trauma care I still have a hard time talking about... you're looking at more like $5-10,000 for something catastrophic. Just FYI. When we had VPI, the different plans also had different levels of maximum coverage, too.
Last edited by OakLeaf; 09-25-2009 at 06:36 AM.
Speed comes from what you put behind you. - Judi Ketteler